Bloggers Quilt Festival Mini - Wren in Spring

Greetings everyone!  I'm excited to be participating again this year in Amy's Blogger's Quilt Festival!  Many thanks to Amy Ellis for hosting this fun event! 

If you're new to my blog -- welcome!  I hope you enjoy your look around.  
You can read more about my interests, current and future projects by clicking here. 

The Quilt Festival is an outlet for those of us that are not traveling to the International Quilt Market and Festival to show off our stuff and get feedback from our peers.

It's open to anyone who has a blog and would like to make an entry.  Please click the icon directly above to learn more about it.
Why don't you join in the fun too?   

One of the best things about the online festival is that you get to see hundreds of beautiful quilts and pieces of art!  There is tons of talent in every category.
Wait until you see!

I'm excited to enter "Wren in Spring", an original 7" x 7" design into the Mini Quilt category.  Mini Quilts must not be larger than 80" around.  Well -- this little gem is less than 30" around.
It's tiny!

I designed, stitched and quilted Wren in Spring as a challenge for local "Artfully Squared" fundraiser sponsored by the local Council on the Arts . 

The council collects and display hundreds of 7" x 7" pieces of art from local artists.  

The work is on display for the month of April and each piece of artwork is available to purchase for $20 with proceeds going directly to the local art programs.  

It's a great event and I was honored and excited to participate.  

Wren in Spring is wool applique on a cotton background.  I used Aurifil 28Wt Mako Cotton to applique the bird and the stems and fell in love with this applique weight thread!.   

I also used Aurifil 50Wt Mako Cotton for the dense machine quilting.  The 50Wt Aurifil allows backtracking without buildup.  I love that about this thread.   I used two layers of batting, one 100% Cotton (Warm and Natural) and one 100% Wool (Hobbs).  I love the way the two layers of batting allow the wren to look as though he was done with trapunto!.

I used a NO BINDING method to finish the mini - you can read more about it here.

I was very happy to learn that Wren in Spring was purchased even before the opening event.   It was gifted to a local resident who was celebrating her 93rd birthday.  

How is that for sweet? I was very honored.

Once the quilting was done, I added a label and hanging sleeve  and ta-daa!!  --  All ready to be delivered to the Council of the Arts!   You can see my Computer Printed Quilt Label tutorial here.

 Thanks for sharing in the fun -- here is the Entry Summary:

Wren in Spring Mini Quilt

7" square (for a total of 28" around)

Wool Applique on Cotton Background

Aurifil Threads in 50Wt and 28Wt

Hobbs Wool + Warm and Natural Cotton Batting

Dense McTavish style quilting on domestic (by me ;)

No binding border (fast and easy)

If you like Wren in Spring, please consider nominating it for the overall "Viewers Choice" award.  The Viewers Choice Nominees can be entered on this page.

Be sure to come back on November 1st when Voting in each Category begins.

You can vote for quilts in the Mini Category on this page.

Thanks for your support and feedback!

Karen

We have a winner -- and some more fun!

Greetings fellow quilters!

Many thanks to everyone that commented on the Free Motion Quilting Fun tutorial and blog post.  I really appreciate your sweet words and feedback.  Thank you so very much!   My fingers are crossed that it helps those that want to Free Motion Quilt.

I hope you had time to peruse the fine selection of fabric panels and Aurifil thread at Bear Creek Quilting Company.  I would love for you to find a panel that makes your heart sing and give the tutorial a try.  

Be sure to send me a picture of anything you stitch and also feel free to send questions my way if necessary.

Special thanks to Bear Creek Quilting Company for providing the beautiful fabric, hosting the tutorial, and sponsoring the $20 giveaway.   

 

Now lets choose a winner!   As of 8pm EST Sunday there were 249 comments on the blog post.  I plugged these numbers into Mr. Random Generator and whalaa!  

Lucky number 77 is Geni Pickens!  Congratulations Geni -- I KNOW you will enjoy spending $20 at Bear Creek Quilting Company.  Thanks for sharing in the fun (and thanks for the follows). 

Geni please drop me an email or leave your email address in a comment so we can get you that awesome gift certificate from Bear Creek Quilting Company.
Before you go... 

An Announcement and another giveaway!

October 24th marks the start of the semi-annual Bloggers Quilt Festival hosted by Amy's Creative Side.

The Blogger’s Quilt Festival is an outlet for the online community to share their quilts, large and small, hand or machine quilted, traditional, art or original design.  It's timed to coincide with Quilt Market in the fall and spring each year and runs for two weeks.

Your peers select their favorite quilts in each category and also select an Overall Viewers Choice quilt.  It's really a fun time and a neat way to get inspired.   (As Angie would say... "there's lots of eye candy"). 

You can enter two quilts per festival (in different categories).  Peruse my previous Bloggers Quilt Festival entries here (Spring 2014 Entry 1),  here (Spring 2014 Entry 2), here (Fall 2013 Entry 1) and  here (Fall 2013 Entry 2) .

Click the Quilt Festival image above to read more and get involved.  It's fun!!  I know I will put something in this year - I'm just not sure what.  

Another Giveaway!

I have been meaning to use this Fat Quarter Bundle of beautiful Benartex "Bohemian Rhapsody" for a year now -- needless to say I haven't touched it (see below).

I won this Bundle of 16 Fat Quarters on the Benartex Blog "Sew in Love with Fabric".  I couldn't wait to pair it with some neutrals and make a Chevron Quilt.  But... as it turns out... no time.

It's been sitting in my stash calling for help for nearly a year!  So today I offer it to one of you.

To enter the giveaway:

Leave me a comment below letting me know 1 of 2 things (or both).

1. What other tutorials or information would you like to see on the blog ? 

• Free motion motifs ?  
• Free motion table runner ?
• Quilting other panels ?  
• More wool applique ?  
• More Needle Turn applique
• More Redbird Quilt Co designs ?

OR

2. What would you make if you won the Benartex Bohemien Rhapsody FQ Bundle ? 

Just one (or two if you choose to answer both questions) comment -- that's all it takes this time.

Entries will close on Sunday, October 26th at 8:00pm EST

I will ship the fabric to a domestic winner -- and share a PDF of my Spring Basket pattern if an international winner is chosen.

Stay tuned for other fun stuff going on this month-- it's a busy time in the world of Quilting.

Have a good week all!

Hugs,
Karen